Russia, Ukraine officials’ in-person meeting first in years

Diplomats from the two countries met in Istanbul on Friday for their first official peace talks after the war began in early 2022. The two sides on Friday agreed to a large-scale prisoner swap, 1,000 for 1,000, and continued negotiations seemed possible.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov led the delegation from Kyiv on behalf of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday in the capital of Ankara. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin skipped the talks, even though he had originally proposed the meeting, sending his adviser Vladimir Medinsky to lead the Russian delegation. 

How did leaders respond to the meeting? The absence of Putin and other high-ranking Russian officials angered Ukrainian leaders, with Zelenskyy saying the move proved Russia was not serious about ending the war. He thanked the Turkish officials who initially joined the talks and agreed that Russia appeared uninterested in peace. Umerov said Ukraine is ready for a full and unconditional ceasefire and that it would be the first step toward ending the war. 

Meanwhile, Russian delegation leader Medinsky said his team had the authority to conduct negotiations. They agreed that each side would present a detailed, written proposal for a possible future ceasefire, he said. Russia’s team is ready to continue the talks, Medinsky said. ​​He added that his team had noted Ukraine’s wish for the heads of state to meet and taken the request under advisement. 

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he believed the countries would not make progress toward peace until he and Putin could meet. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that a meeting between the leaders would first require negotiations, consultations, and intense preparation. Following a meeting Thursday with national security advisers from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he believed there would not be a breakthrough until Trump and Putin meet. He said while Trump is dedicated to achieving peace, officials could not continue traveling for meetings that were not going to be productive. 

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report on the last proposed ceasefire falling apart.